If you’re seeking landscaping inspiration, just look around: With its mountains, rivers, beaches, and forests, the Northwest possesses some of the most awesome scenery on earth. The best home gardens reflect this natural beauty while coping with human limitations such as small lots, inadequate time to fuss with plants, and dwindling public water supplies.

On the following pages, two landscapes address these challenges in different but equally effective ways. One, on Bainbridge Island, Washington, is a classic woodland-waterfront garden shaded by groves of conifers and filled with maples, camellias, hellebores, herbs, and more. The other, in Eugene, Oregon, is a contemporary garden that blends clean lines and artistic touches with a rich tapestry of mostly foliage plants — all on a compact city lot. Both landscapes celebrate the beauty of the Northwest in all its many lovely shades of blue and green. And both are filled with planting ideas you can duplicate in your own garden.

Northwest style strategies

Celebrate broadleafed evergreens. At their best in mild parts of the Northwest, evergreens like camellias and rhododendrons stay fat and green during winter, then add a color splash in spring. They also provide textural contrast with conifers, grasses, and deciduous plants.

Create seasonal interest. Set out crocuses, snowdrops, and other bulbs and hellebores under trees for early spring bloom. Plant spring-flowering shrubs that display colorful berries or fruits in summer or fall and bare bark in winter.

Fill shady spots with woodland plants. Some, like azaleas, bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), and hellebores, bloom seasonally. Others, like ferns, piggy-back plant (Tolmiea menziesii), and vine maples, bring layers of leafy texture to spots that don’t get a lot of sun.

Plant cracks between pavers. Use thyme in sunny places, and baby’s tears (Soleirolia soleirolii), blue star creeper (Pratia pedunculata), or pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) in the shade. All will withstand some traffic. Thyme needs almost no extra summer water; shade lovers need only a little.

Add fall color. The leaves of many deciduous trees display bright autumn shades. Fall show-offs include yellow-leafed katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum), the reds and oranges of maples, and the fiery shades of Persian parrotia (P. persica) and tupelo (Nyssa sylvatica).